Machine for drawing pipes from molds



Allg. 6, J.. B. LADD MACHINE FOR DRAWING PIPES FROM MOLDS Filed Jan. 1,9, 192.8 6 sheetssheet N\ Sl :l .1ih\ mlm@ Til.. i--- A TTORNE Y Aug. e, 1929. J. B LADD 1,723,792.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING PIPES FROM MOLDS Filed Jan. 1 9, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR y femm A TTORNE Y Aug; 6, 1929. J. B. I ADD MACHINE FOR DRAWING PIPEs-FROM MoLDs Filed'Jan. lQ, 3.92.8 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR imm wc ATTURNEY Aug. 6, 1929. J. B. LADD MACHINE FOR DRAWING PIPES FROM MOLDS Filed Jan. 1 9, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 mb www@ fw Q Q Xml .v-

.w Q Q NQ Q IM au w wm w m lNvENroR A rToRNEY J. B. LADD Aug. 6, 1929.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING PIPES FROM MOLDS Filed Jan. L9, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEY Aug. 6, 1929. g, B, LAD@ 1,723,792

MACHINE FOR DRAWING 4PIPES FROM MOLDS Filed Jan. L9, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 F? FIG /5 4 4 6 7 l/ B P ,f l, 93 0 0 0 02 12`y I A 0/ P2; -'./\\f A my [D8 [D5 M5", :1'

INVENTOR Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

'l OF FIC E.

mains n. Lann, or enmarcan., riarineirtva "a, meterme fro nnrrnn STATES CAST OF ANEW JERSEY.

n, nfiivf Jnaenv, A CORPORATION Application filed January' 19,

My invention relates to centrifugal pipe casting plants and has lier its object to provide an improved mechanism Jfor gripping; a newly cast pipe in the mold and Withdrawinp; it Jfrom the mold by 'which the operation et the gripper to seize the pipe and preferably also to release the pipe Shall be made automatic. Another object which ll have in View is to provide mechanism by which the gripper (':arryinzc' car will be actuated at reduced. speed and with increased power at the time when it begins; te move the pipe out of the mold and still another objevt which l have in view is to provide imf proved means 'for reuovinp; the pipee Afrom the supports upon Wh ich they are deposited as they are Withdrawn from the mold.

The nature ot my improvements will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings in which they are illustrated and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a centrifugal pipe casting plant embodying@` my improvements.

Figure 2 is a eide elevation.

Figure 3 iS a view similar to Fig. 17 but showing the gripper supporting carriage in pipe engaging; position.

Figure 4 is: a side elevation oi the mechanism shown in Fig'. 3.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the rope pulleys by Which the gripper carrying' car is actuated.

Figure 6 is a plan view ot' the gripper carrying rar and ite supported mechanism taken as on the horizontal Section 6--6 et Fig. 7.

Figure 7 ie anelevation of the rear end `of the car.

Figure 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 ot Fig. 6.

Figure 9 is an elevtaion on the vertical section 9-9 of 6, showing also the mold and pipe end section.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Fi 9, showing the position ot the car and its Supported parte at the time when the gripper actuating mechanism comes in contact with a lined stop as the car approaches the mold.

Figure 11 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale showing parte of the mechanism as shown in Fig. 9.

Figure 12 is a similar View showing the position of the Same parte immediately before or immediately after the grippers engage the pipe.

Fir-ure 13 ie aeection on the line 13-#13 o1 Figi'. 12.

Figure 1li, a cross section on the line 14;-14 el: Fig. 11. y

Figure 15 is a eide elevation of the device iior removing` the pipes t'rom the supports en which they are tiret deposited.

Figure 1G ie a similar View showing lthe socket arms in the position in which they engage and elevate the pipes 'from the supporta, and

Figure 17 ie a rear elevation of the mecha- :uisun shown in Figs. 15 and 16.

f1., are the longitudinally extending beams which 'Form or Support a track-Way ter the mold and njripper carrying car. B indicates; the mold casing', which is ot.' the W ell kr. own de Lavaud type supported en the tracks by the wheels B1. C is the gripper carrying car, the frame or which is Supported ou wheels C1. C2 is a Slide bearing for the `gripper euppertinp; member F which is also supported in bearing C3 Whichbearing is flexibly supported en a pin C which in turn reste upon a spring' G5 supported in the bottom ot the car. C and C7 are slide bearings for the longitudinally moving rack bar D. C8, C8, are ears extending1 from the rear of the rar to which are pivotally connected the beanie C95 which in turn are connected at their ende by the studs indicated at C10, C10. C, C11, best shown in Figs. 6 and 8 are bearings for the shaft E. C12 is a atop linger extending laterally 'from the Cara as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. C13, best shown in Fine. 9 and 10j is an arm secured to the car, the function ol which is to operate on the locking' pawl K2, K3. G14, C14. are arms depending` :from the rear end of the oar to which the rope for moving the car is attached.

Lengritudinally movable in the Slide bearinne CF. U7, ie the bar D, having formed on o3 attarhed to its lower side the rack engaged at DI and having at ite ends the spring,r cuellioned abutting; Studs indicated at D2 and E in :i tranaversely extending Shaft eupperted in the bearings C11 and having at taehed to it a gear Wheel El which is in en* tffapgement. with the rack D1. E2 is a hand Wheel attached 'to the shaft E.

F ie a longitudinally movable gripper and large diameter',

runder the guide pulleys M7 M8 supporting member which is, as shown, tubular and which is supported by and movable in the bearings C2 and C5. This .tubular rmember is formed as shown with a shoulder at F1 and is slotted at its forward end as indicated at F2, see Figures 11, 12, and 14. The pin F3 extending between the slots which open through a curved sided washer F4, supports the wedge member G ofl the grippingdevice. The tubular member F is slotted as indicated at F5 and again slotted as indicated at F 5, see Figures 11, 12, and 13. On the top of the member F is formed a locking notch indicated at FS and on the vbottom of the member another locking notch indicated at F 9.

H is a sleeve surrounding the member F having at its top a rack H1 which is in engagement with the gear wheel El. H2 is a pin secured to therack H and extending through the slots F5 in the member F.

I is a second member of the gripper supporting members having the form of a rod extending through tubular member F. Il isa pin secured to the forward ends of the member I to which are connected the gripper members indicated at J, J. I2 is a pin secured to the rear end of the member I, extending through the slots F5 of the member F and secured at its ends to the sleeve K which, through a threaded pin K1, supports the locking pawl K2 and the pawl actuating finger K5. I2' is a slot formed through the member I through which extends the pin H2 which, as shown best in Figure 13, is permitted a certain amount of longitudinal movement in this slot. L, best shown in Figures 11 and 12, is a locking pawl pressed upward by a spring actuated pin, as shown at L1, the `function of which is to engage in the notch F2 at a proper time and which is withdrawn from the notch by the action of the wedge end Hanf theV sleeve H, as shown in Figure 12. n

M is a motor for actuating the gripper carrying car which is connected through suitable gears with a shaft'M1 to which are attached the rope pulleys M2, M3 of small connected by volutes, as indicated at M'2 in Fig. 4. M5, M5, are the ropes'which are connected to the rear of the car C through studs C10, see Figures 6 and 7, and also through the downwardly extending arms C14, C14, the rope passing and the pulley VN, N, are vlevers extending upward into V,the path of the stop finger C12, the lower ends of the levers connecting with a rod N1 which, in turn, is connected'to and actuatcs a switch construction indicated at N 2, bv

ymeans of which the motor M is started and stopped.

O, O, etc., are a series of rock shafts to which are attached supports O1 having curved Rollers O2 supported at their ends. O3, O3, etc., are lever arms also attached to the shafts O, each connecting through a rod O4 with the pivoted lever O5, O2, having cam engaging rolls O7 secured on the ends of the arms O5. Pivoted on the rock shafts O are the levers O8, O2, having at the ends of the arms O5, hooks O10, which engage ears projecting from the lever arms O5. as shown in Fig. 2, when the part.' are in the position shown in that ligure and having at the ends of the arms O9 the cam engaging rolls OU.

Referring to Figures 1, 3, 15, 16, and 17, P, P, indicate standards and P1 positively placed brackets secured to one of the beams A, between which ext-end the skid-ways indicated at P3, P3, to which are attached stops indicated at P4. P2 is a beam connecting the standards I). P5, P5, curved pulleys journalled on the brackets P1. P5 is a shaft having bearings in the standards l2 and having attached to it crank arms PT, to which are pivotaliy attached skid arms, indicated at P5 which rest on the curved pulleys P5. P2 is a shaft supported in the standards I and rotated h v a motor indicated at P10. P11 is a gear wheel secured on the shaft P5 and engaged with a gear wheel P12 which in turn is secured to the shaft P'".

P15 is a switch actuating arm secured on the shaft P5 and actuating a switch device indicated at Q, by means of which the motor P10 can be stopped. i

In operation, the car C heilig in retracted position, as shown, for instance, in Figures 1 and 2, a pipe is cast in the mold B2. the casting being indicated at B4. The motor M is then set in operation to draw the ear C toward the mold and as the ear moves toward the mold the cam face Cl" acting on the cam rolls O11, depresses the lever arm O2 and elevates the lever arm O5 sa as to disengage the hooks O10 from the levers Shortly after this disengagement the cam C15 engages successively the cam rollers O7, depressing` the lever arms O and shifting the pipe supporting devices from the position shown in F 2 to that shown in Fig. et, so that the pipe supporting devices are retracted out of the path of the car and its supported mechanism. When the car begins this movement toward the mold, the supported mechanisms are in the position shown in Figure 10, and they remain in this position until the contact head D2 of the rack bar D comes in contact with the stop which, as shown, is the end of the mold casing B. Continued movement of the car toward the mold then leaves the rack bar D stationary and the rack D1 acting on the gear wheel El in turn acts upon the rack H1 so as to .eive the sleeve H a forward movement. on the car, as a result of which the sleeve iirst moves forward on the grip supported mem-- ber F until the pin H2 comes in contact with the end of the slot I, see Figures l1, i2, and 13, whereupon the gripper snpporting member I is carried forward with the sleeve H and through the pin and the engaged sleeve K and the lockilig pawl K2 and engagement with the notch Ff" carries forward with it the gripper supporting member F, with the result that the grippers are projected forward into the pipes, as shown in Figues 9 and l2. lust before the completion of the forward movement of the car, the linger l@ coming in contact with the stop C13, leaves the iawl K2 out of the notch FS and promptly at the same time the notch Fn comes into registry with the locking pawl L which is forced up into the notch by the action of the spring actuated pins L1. A furt ier movement of the sleeve H acting through its connecting pin H2 then forces the. inember I forward in the tubular member F, this motion being permitted by the slots F, through which the pin H2 passes and as the rod member I moves yforward in the tubular member F the gripper members; (l, J, are thrust forward on the wedging inember Gr, see Figures 1l to lei, with the result that the pipe is gripped as shown in Figure 11. The car then begins its backward movement to draw the pipe from the mold and it will be observed that owing to the differential rope pulley construction shown in Figure 5, the motions imparted to the car and connected parts while the gripper is entering and leaving the mold is slower and more powerful than during the remainder of the driving of the car and this, of course, is a feature of` value in loosening the pipe from the mold at the beginning of the dawing operation.

The carriage moves backward, drawing the ear with it and through the cams C15 and C16 and the mechanism upon which these cams act, as already described, the different supporting devices are successively returned to pipe supported position, as shown in Figure 2, so that at the completion of the backward movement of the car the pipe drawn from the mold is supported as shown in this figure.

During the latter part of the backward movement of the car the abutment D3 on the end of the rack bar D comes in contact with the fixed stop with the result that the rack bar is again held stationary while the car completes its backward movement and, acting through the gear connection described, the sleeve H is moved backward on the gear and through its wedge end H3, see Figures l1 and l2, engages the lock pawl L-and lifts it out of the notch F9, as shown in Figure 12. This action, owing Ato the stop located in the slot I3, see Figure i3, takes place before the pin H2 comes in operative contact with the rod I and immediately on this contact oecurrnig e rod I is shifted backward, as shown in. i. orcs 1l to 13, the immediate result` being the engagement of the pawl l@ with th `notch FS, as shown in Figure 12, and the drawing backward of the clutch members d, il, on the wedge G, so that the clutch or per releases the pipe, as shown in p, l2. The further hacks' 'd movement of the car effects the complete withdrawal of the gripper mechanism from the pipe, as shown in Figures 'l and It is, of course, important that the pipes deposited on the retractable support ,hould be promptly removed so as to ifo out of the way of the operative parts of the machine yand this operation I preferably accomplish by the mechanism best shown in Figures l, 3, 15, 16, and 17. The motor Pl is set in operation immediately on the withdrawal of the grippers from the pipe and starting from a base of rest suol as is shown in Figure l5, the skid arms PS are thrust forward under the pipe supported on the rollers 0L" and then upward, as shown in Figure lli, with the effect of lifting the pipe from the rollers land supporting them on the inclined skid arms lS down which they roll on to the fixed skids I. A complete revolution of the shaft PG returns the skid arms ro the position shown in Fig. l5, at which point the arm P13 contacting with the switch member Q; effects the stoppage of the motor,

the parts remaining `in retracted position until the motor is again started.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A machine for drawing pipes from molds comprising in combination a car movable on a guideway towards and away from a pipe mold, an expandible pipe gripper supported on the car, moans for expanding and contracting the gripper also supported on the car and including an actuating de vice arranged to contact with stops and a stop arranged to contact with said device as the car moves forward and shift it to expand the pipe gripper.

2. A machine for drawing pipes from molds comprising in combination a car movable on a guideway towards and away from a pipe mold, an expandible pipe gripper supported on the car, means for expanding and contracting the gripper also supported on the car and including an actuating device arranged to contact with stops and stops arranged to contact with said device as the car moves backward and forward and shift it to expand and contract the pipe gripper.

3. A machine for drawing pipes from molds comprising in combination a car movable on a guideway towards and away from means for a pipe mold, a longitudinally movable gripper supportcarried by said ear, an expandible pipe grip er carried by said support, a vancing and retracting the gripper support including an actuating device arranged to contact with stops, stops arranged to contact with the actuating device as the car moves backward and foi'- ward, a gripper operating device and automatic means for actuating said device operative as the car approaches its extreme positions. f

4. In a machine having the constructive features of claim 3, the special construction including a gripper support comprising two relatively movable members each attached to separate gripper members, means for locking the support members together as the car moves towards the mold, means for disconnecting said locking means operative as the support approaches its extreme forward position and means operating to move one lsupport memberl with relation to the other operating on the release of the lock and so as to effect the expansion of the gripper.

5. In a machine having the constructive Vfeatures of claim 3, the special construction including a gripper support comprising two relatively movable members cach attached to separate gripper members, means for locking the support members together as the car moves towards the mold, means for disconnecting said locking means operative as the support approaches its eXtreme forward position, means operating to move one support member with relation to the other operating on the release of the lock and so as to effect the expansion of the gripper and means operative at the end of the backward movement of the car for returning the support members to normal locked position and releasing the gripper.

G. In a machine having the characteristic relatively movable members each attached to separate gripper members, means for locking the support members together as the car moves towards the mold, means for disconnecting said locking means operative as the support approaches its extreme forward position, means operating to move one support member with relation to the other operating on the release of the lock and so as lo effect the expansion oi the gripper, means operative at the end of the baclnvard movement of the car for returning the support members to normal locked position andv releasing the gripper, a longitudinally movable rack connected to one of the support members, a second longitudinally movable rack gear connected to the first iacr and having extensions arranged to contact with fixed stops as the car moves forward and backward so as to shift the rack and operate the gripper supporting members.

JAMES B. LADD. 

